The documentary “Headliners Only” is fascinating for a bunch of reasons: great behind-the-scenes clips, conversations and interviews… But there’s also a lot of wisdom. Here are 2 life lessons from Chris Rock and Kevin Hart:
1) Find a mentor
But not just any mentor. Find THE mentor. Find the person in the promised land who can guide you to get there…
For Chris Rock it was Eddie Murphy. For Kevin Hart it was Chris Rock.
The two comedians talk honestly and openly about who helped them, why and how. And there is a through line of great comedians lifting each other up since the beginning of stand-up. Very cool to see these two acknowledge each other and tell their stories…
2) Find your crew to come up with
You need a crew who is going to challenged you, push you, critique you, knock you down, keep you humble and lift you up.
But most of all, they care about you honing your craft.
Rock talks about how he came up with Seinfeld and Sandler and Spade and Farley and how they pushed each other day and night to be funnier and edgier.
Hart talks about his 3AM post-show talks with Patrice and Bill Burr and his crew.
You need to be AMONG the best up-and-comers in your field to become among the best in your field….
Finding mentors and peer groups apply for everything from entrepreneurship to finance, fitness and more. Especially in the arts and sports. Chad Hennings mentor was Roger Staubach.
But with creative work, it feels different. The camaraderie was awesome to see. The bonds and gratefulness were genuine. The joy was palpable.
If you like stand-up you’ll dig it.
And if you’re looking for your next great sports book, I humbly recommend one of mine:
‘Nique: The High-Flying, Electrifying Career of Dominique Wilkins
“It’s amazing that people act like they’ve never seen anyone in the 80s and 90s play other than MJ. People need to bring up Dominique. Dominique was an all-time scorer. He never got his credit.”
– Spud Webb
“Presidents aren’t just the commander in chief – they’re also athlete in chief… The Oval Office has a long history of being occupied by athletes. These sweaty pursuits are detailed in Jocks in Chief.”
– The New York Post
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